[LINK] "Men at work" up a gum tree

[Jan Whitaker]

At 05:34 PM 4/02/2010, Kim Holburn you wrote:

>http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/04/2809848.htm
>
> > Men at Work plundered Kookaburra riff: court
> > Iconic Australian rockers Men at Work could be facing a hefty legal

Yeah, but it's similar, not exact. I'd like to see the overlay of the 
transcription of the tunes. There are limited combinations. There are 
only 12 tones. I wonder what was presented in evidence or if the 
judge just listened and 'heard' what he was told by the lawyers. 
There are lots of riffs that are similar in modern songs from earlier pieces.

As a theme, it could also be said to be a variation on the main 
melody, which is what Beethoven and Bach did. It's a natural musical 
technique. I would hope that the 'men' at work are musically adept to 
make that case.

Anyway, I hope they appeal.

Men at Work ripped off Kookaburra for Downunder | The Courier-Mail (4 
February 2010)
  http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26676562-5012980,00.html
  http://snipurl.com/u9odc
"But he said a Qantas advertisement, which also used a small similar 
section of the riff, was not in breach of copyright laws."




Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
blog: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com

Our truest response to the irrationality of the world is to paint or 
sing or write, for only in such response do we find truth.
~Madeline L'Engle, writer

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